Dick Clark has been on many minds and in many hearts since his recent passing. But for Legends in Concert in Branson, Missouri, preserving his memory and amazing impact in music took on a whole different meaning weeks before his sudden death.
\nOn the morning of February 29th, 2012, the storm sirens sounded across the rolling hills of Branson, Missouri. Sleeping soundly in their beds, the Branson residents were rudely awakened by the fury of the Leap Day Tornado. As the sun rose, the devastating images of destruction were shockingly apparent. Branson had a very long, challenging road ahead.
\nDick Clark\u2019s American Bandstand Theater, home of Legends in Concert, suffered severe damage. The roof was peeled away like the top of a tuna can and the lobby was left in shambles. Seeing their home in such devastation left the Legends in Concert team heartbroken. But all was not lost.
\nAs the team assessed the theater damage, they were immediately concerned about the priceless memorabilia that filled the lobby. Water and debris covered nearly every inch of the lobby. The tornado had sucked away items from floor to ceiling. Surely the tornado had swept away the glass cases that contained the memorabilia as well. But to their surprise, each and every piece of the memorabilia remained untouched. The priceless pieces include \u201cJailhouse Rock\u201d sheet music autographed by Leiber & Stoller, stage-worn wardrobe pieces from Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson and Smokey Robinson, contracts signed by Dick Clark for stars such as The Jackson 5 to appear on American Bandstand, and many, many more. There is even a framed yellow sticky note from Michael Jackson to Dick Clark that reads: \u201cTo My Other Father Dick\u201d\u2026. \u201cthe nicest man in showbiz.\u201d The legacy of Dick Clark could live on at Dick Clark\u2019s American Bandstand Theater and the memorabilia would still be available for all to enjoy. That is\u2026if the theater could be repaired.
\nSix weeks of grueling work followed. Construction crews worked through the night. The Legends in Concert management team worked relentlessly to get the theater back open. The community outreach was absolutely amazing. This tornado was sure to bring the tightly knit community of Branson, Missouri even closer.
\nAfter what seemed a never ending round of meetings, difficult hours of hard manual labor, and insurance paperwork that stacked to the sky, Legends in Concert announced its reopening date of April 14th. But shortly following this joyous and much anticipated day, yet another tragedy would strike not only the hearts of the Branson community, but of the world.
\nOn April 18th, the world lost a true legend, Dick Clark. The loss was felt most deeply at Dick Clark\u2019s American Bandstand Theater, the only venue in the world that bears his name. A candlelight memorial was planned outside the theater. Fans left candles, flowers and signs as the world said goodbye to \u201cAmerica\u2019s Oldest Teenager.\u201d Legends in Concert performer Bucky Heard sang a beautiful accapella version of \u201cAmazing Grace\u201d and a special tribute to Dick Clark was included in the Legends in Concert show that night. American Bandstand was the show that launched the music careers of many of the iconic performers portrayed in Legends in Concert\u2019s show in Branson and in its locations in Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Atlantic City, Foxwoods, Waikiki and Norwegian EPIC. For over 29 years, Legends in Concert has provided music lovers the opportunity to reconnect with the memories of music superstars past and present. And the man who gave us many of those memories was Dick Clark. Branson was truly saddened by the loss of such a legendary television and music pioneer.
\nBeing faced with two heart wrenching tragedies in just a few months may have been challenging, but Legends in Concert is back and better than ever. The recovery from the tornado has brought the Branson community as well as the Legends Branson family even closer. With the death of Dick Clark, the world was reminded of the brevity of life and the importance of appreciating and honoring those who have contributed so much to this world. But they will not be forgotten, as their legacy will live on at Dick Clark\u2019s American Bandstand Theater. Both Branson and Legends in Concert has learned through all this that no matter how difficult the challenge, hard work and community will overcome all. And always remember\u2026.\u201cThe show must go on\u201d. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dick Clark has been on many minds and in many hearts since his recent passing. But for Legends in Concert in Branson, Missouri, preserving his memory and amazing impact in music took on a whole different meaning weeks before his sudden death. On the morning of February 29th, 2012, the storm sirens sounded across the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[41,13,4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26221"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26221"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26221\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/broadcast.branson.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}